Chapter 38

"Iheard you missed me."

It must have taken every ounce of Cosimo's fortitude to keep his stance relaxed and any hint of suffering off his face.

Glamour masked the worst of his injuries, and a long flowing black and silver robe did the rest, giving him the impression of a careless astrologer sweeping into a meeting he hadn't wanted to attend, with someone he hoped he'd never see again.

The Oracle raked him up and down, her eyes searching for something out of place…but she found nothing because raw disappointment twisted her features.

"Shouldn't you be beyond the Pale, getting your brother back in line before he devours this world and there is nothing left for any of us, not even you, you pitiless monster?"

"How I've missed you, Coz." He snatched her wrist inches before her fingers reached his chest.

"Don't fucking touch me, you ghoul. Why are you here?"

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" She actually batted her eyelashes at him. "After all the time we've spent together, I would have expected a far warmer welcome."

"Like burning you at the stake? I'm sure that could be arranged."

I had to hand it to Cosimo, he didn't so much as blink when her shadows wrapped their cruel, dark fingers around him, his tan face losing none of its color. But right now, we had only one imperative goal. Getting her out of this room before she discovered we had the…

Again, her eyes swiveled straight toward me, and I yawned. "I'm not sure we should waste the kindling, to be honest." I kept my tone indifferent. "Frankly, we have more pressing matters to attend to than your schoolgirl crush on Cosimo."

Those coiling shadows sharpened, her dark gaze raking me up and down. Oh, she didn't like that at all.

"You should be grateful I allow any of you to live."

"It must chafe, knowing you fucked up so badly that you have no choice but to allow us to salvage this current cycle," Cosimo pointed out evenly, pressing Torin behind him. "No doubt if the magic had gone to you instead of Anaria, we'd have been dead weeks ago."

"Perhaps I find you amusing."

"Perhaps you aren't as good a liar as you presume," I countered, willing my mind into a blank slate. "This city is about to fall. Do you intend to share the secret for stopping your brother, or do you intend for Blackcastle, like Tempeste, to be lost?"

"Cities can be rebuilt."

"By mortals, not by you. Once we're all gone, once your brother kills the forests and the rivers and us, then no cities will ever rise again on this world. Everything you've grown so fond of will rot. Is that what you want?"

She pursed her lips, searching vainly for a retort.

"Once the magic in Varitus is freed and the princess fulfills her part of the bargain, I will assist you in stopping my brother, but not before. I want my due, and Anaria has a habit of living up to her given birthname. I won't make the mistake of trusting her again."

"You struck a bargain?" Coz lifted his brow. "What is your cost this time? There isn't anything more you can take from us."

"Oh, there is one thing. One section of Old Valarian that remains untouched and untapped for a thousand years. Varitus will be mine, as will the rest of this pitiful realm, once this is over."

I think we all sucked in a breath of realization at the same time.

Anaria traded her magic—all the magic—to this creature.

But what did she get in return?

"How long?" Torin asked softly, holding my stare for a moment. "Before she drops the wall? After that, I assume you will use a transference spell to transfer all that magic to yourself." Something shifted in Torin's face as if she'd just realized something terrible.

"A day. By tomorrow the ward will be down and this will be over."

"By then, this city will be gone."

"Yes," the Oracle said somberly, as if she indeed found no joy in the fact. "It will be."

"You should see with your own eyes what your brother has done to us," Cosimo hissed, stepping away from a visibly upset Torin. "Accompany me north of the city and I will show you what he's done to this place, to the innocents who could not escape his corruption."

His face turned stormy. "Since you love to play god, then you should look upon the destruction you've wreaked."

Personally, I thought Coz was laying it on a bit thick, but then the Oracle looked intrigued enough his ploy might have worked.

And when she smiled her spider's smile and took the hand he offered, I was already calculating how fast I could fly to Varitus.